From her press release:
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Candice Miller (MI-10), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, today made the following statement regarding the release of the Department of Homeland Security’s Northern Border Strategy. The Northern Border Strategy is the first unified strategy to guide the Department’s policies and operations along the U.S.-Canada border. Miller said:
“I am encouraged by the release of the first ever Department of Homeland Security Northern Border Strategy. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security, I have been calling on the Department to focus on the unique challenges on the Northern Border by putting a stronger emphasis on sharing information to protect our citizens, facilitate trade across our borders, decrease wait times for cargo and people who cross the border, and to make the infrastructure investments needed to facilitate these goals. I am pleased that this strategy emphasizes the partnership and information sharing relationship we have with our Canadian neighbors.
“While this strategy is an important first step, more work needs to be done to understand the security challenges and gaps in Northern Border security. Specifically, I hope the Department will follow through with their commitment to providing the needed funding in their budget for the Blue Water Bridge plaza expansion project, which was identified within the U.S.-Canada joint Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness strategy announced last year. I look forward to working with the Department as they implement this strategy and develop better ways to measure progress along the Northern tier of the nation.”
Note:
The Department’s three goals for the Northern Border are:
1. Deter and Prevent Terrorism, Smuggling, Trafficking, and Illegal Immigration
2. Safeguard and Encourage the Efficient Flow of Lawful Trade and Travel
3. Ensure Community Safety and Resiliency Before, During, and After Terrorist Attacks and Natural Disasters
To achieve these Goals, the Department will utilize five key means and methods:
A. Partnerships
B. Information, Intelligence, Interdictions, and Investigations
C. Technology
D. Infrastructure
E. Personnel
The Northern Border Strategy is based on, and consistent with, the released 2010 National Security Strategy, the Department’s Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR), and with the key areas of cooperation articulated by the President in his joint declaration with Canadian Prime Minister Harper in Beyond the Border: A Shared Vision for Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness (“Beyond the Border”).
